Adjacent to the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, New York state fairgoers can get an immersive experience to learn how milk gets from the farm to their fridge in the new 1,000-square-foot mobile dairy truck.
Joel Riehlman, owner of Venture Farms in Tully and chairman of New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC), said the idea has been over 10 years in the making.
“What we want the mobile dairy truck to do is educate. Not every person can get onto the farm, so having this to bring into communities, to schools, where we can go through step-by-step the processes in which it takes to make milk and dairy products,” Riehlman said.
While the truck is making its debut at the New York State Fair, it will be available for schools and communities to host as well.
“For kids, if all they know is that you go to the grocery store and buy food, then this takes it a step further,” Riehlman said.
The project is funded through checkoff dollars from dairy farmers, a national program used to promote the industry and fund research and education.
“There’s 15 cents of every hundredweight that goes to promotion and 10 cents of that stays right here in New York state. So at the end of the day, we want the dairy farmers of New York state to be proud of what their input and what their dollars have done,” Riehlman said.
Eileen Jensen, executive director of NYAAC, spearheaded the project and worked to design the elements that would be included.
“You will see bedding used for cows, the different ingredients that make up cow feed, the environmental stewardship practices that are found on farms and the steps that farmers take to protect our land and watersheds,” Jensen said.
The truck breaks down the milking process, technology used on farms and the variety of dairy products available to consumers.
“It’s our goal to help people understand where their food comes from, the people behind the hard work and the steps it takes to make it all happen,” Jensen said.
New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard Ball said the mobile dairy truck is a great addition to the agricultural exhibits at the New York State Fair.
“This is so real and so compelling and sitting right next to the birthing center where [visitors] can see cows and watch them give birth and then go through and learn about what dairy really means aside from the neat-looking cow,” Ball said.
Ball hopes the mobile dairy truck, in addition to other agricultural exhibits at the fair, will highlight the diversity in agriculture careers as 40% of jobs in the country are tied to agriculture, he said.
“It’s an opportunity to connect the dots and to let people know why agriculture is a big deal in New York state and why it’s still a viable way to make a living,” Ball said.